News - SlashGear

Posts Tagged ‘news’

Barnes & Noble ebook reader imminent; Plastic Logic color version due Spring 2010 [Video]

By Chris Davies on Friday, Oct 9th 2009 No Comments

Barnes & Noble look set to enter the ebook reader market in a big way, with rumors and revelations aplenty about not only an imminent device launch but a color model in 2010. According to the Wall Street Journal’s sources, B&N are preparing to launch a greyscale 6-inch E-Ink device potentially as soon as November 2009, complete with a touchscreen and on-screen keyboard. However, according to a B&N spokesperson caught on video (which you can see after the cut), next Spring will bring a Plastic Logic color ebook reader together with clients for mobile devices.

plastic logic e book demo 1 480x397

Video announcement after the cut

Continued »

Zune & Zune Pass could see Apple compatibility; WinMo phones next

By Chris Davies on Wednesday, Oct 7th 2009 No Comments

One of our key criticisms of the Zune HD was that Microsoft don’t offer a version of their desktop management software for Mac, thus giving Apple users another good reason to stick with the iPod. That might change, though, says Mary-Jo Foley, who has been talking to Microsoft’s director of communications for the TV, Video and Music Business, Jose Pinero. According to Pinero, Microsoft are considering porting the Zune software and services to various non-Windows platforms, one of which would be OS X.

zune hd 540x315

Continued »

Palm webOS 1.2.1 restores iTunes sync, adds photo support

By Chris Davies on Monday, Oct 5th 2009 No Comments

Our friends over at My Pre have flagged up that, as of this weekend, Palm have pushed out webOS 1.2.1. The new firmware - which comes but a week after 1.2.0 saw its own launch - tweaks Exchange support for increased stability, but the biggest difference is that it restores iTunes 9.0.1 synchronization, something which Apple "broke" in their latest media app update.

Continued »

Amazon 1984 ebook case settled: new remote-delete policy revealed

By Chris Davies on Friday, Oct 2nd 2009 1 Comment

amazon kindle 2 Amazon’s attempt to placate the braying crowds with a $30 kiss-and-make-up check and a grovelling apology after the deleted 1984 ebook fiasco worked with most Kindle customers, but it wasn’t enough to dissuade suing student Justin Gawronski from his court case. Amazon have now settled with the Michigan teen, to the amount of $150,000 in fact, which he will share with his legal team and a co-plaintiff; meanwhile, the retailer has taken steps to make its deletion policy clearer.

Full policy after the cut

Continued »

Sony PSP Go on sale in US today

By Chris Davies on Thursday, Oct 1st 2009 No Comments

Sony’s PSP firmware v6.10 isn’t the only thing to go out today: the company has also launched the PSP Go. The new handheld – the first PSP from Sony not to include a physical UMD media slot – is available today in the US, with an MRSP of $249.99.

sony psp go white

Continued »

ODROID Android handheld up for preorder; full release December

By Chris Davies on Tuesday, Sep 29th 2009 No Comments

We’ve been keeping an eye on the ODROID Android-based portable entertainment device over the past few months, and today our source at the company let us know that the developer version is going up for pre-order from today. Priced at the equivalent of around $320, and with deliveries expected to begin from November 5th, the ODROID developer edition has the same 833MHz Samsung S5PC100 processor as in the iPhone 3GS, 512MB of RAM and a 3.5-inch capacitive touchscreen.

odroid developer edition1 540x294

Continued »

Lower PMP volume defaults to fight hearing loss planned

By Chris Davies on Monday, Sep 28th 2009 No Comments

Thanks to a new European Union ruling, any PMP sold in Europe will soon need to have a lower default volume level so as to avoid ear damage. The so-called "safe exposure" levels will be a condition of sale for any MP3 player, including Apple's iPod range, though users will be able to override the settings if they choose.

Continued »

O2 losing iPhone 3GS exclusivity: on Orange UK later in 2009

By Chris Davies on Monday, Sep 28th 2009 No Comments

UK would-be iPhone users desperate to avoid O2’s network can take heart in the fact that rival network Orange have just announced they will be offering the iPhone 3GS later this year. The Orange iPhone 3GS is yet to be priced, and nor have the company revealed the exact date it will go on sale, but there is a pre-interest page open for registrations.

Update: O2 statement after the cut

orange uk iphone 3gs 540x307

Continued »

iPod nano 5G camera falls foul of gym blacklists

By Chris Davies on Wednesday, Sep 23rd 2009 No Comments

Apple’s iPod nano 5G has impressed plenty of reviewers (and will likely find favor with even more buyers, too) but gym owners are less enamored. With the arrival of the nano’s video camera, the PMP has found itself on the blacklist for some gym changing rooms, over fears that patrons may use image- and video-capable devices to surreptitiously grab shots of each other.

ipod nano 5G video 13 r3media 540x251

Continued »

giffgaff UK MVNO announced: is “mutual giving” a business model?

By Chris Davies on Wednesday, Sep 23rd 2009 No Comments

giffgaff honeypot MVNOs in the US haven’t had the greatest of success, with Virgin Mobile USA the most recent big-name to be gobbled up by a “proper” carrier. However one UK company has obviously decided that the scene there is crying out for a new carrier option, and hence giffgaff has been born. Based on O2’s network, giffgaff is still playing coy with their pricing but is suggesting that users will be able to earn back up to 100-percent of their pre-pay top-ups via good deeds to other users and the MVNO themselves.